ire

1 of 2

noun

ˈī(-ə)r 

: intense and usually openly displayed anger

ire transitive verb

ireful

ˈī(-ə)r-fəl 

adjective

Ire

2 of 2

abbreviation

Ireland

Synonyms of ire

Noun

• indignation
• anger
• wrath
• outrage
• fury
• rage

Choose the Right Synonym for ire

anger, ire, rage, fury, indignation, wrath mean an intense emotional state induced by displeasure.

anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage

could not contain his fury

indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Examples of ire in a Sentence

Noun

He directed his ire at the coworkers who reported the incident.

the patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Chalamet has drawn the ire of both the theater community and creative professionals overall since his comments during a Variety and CNN Town Hall in February went viral on social media. —Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026

Though often wary of risking the president's ire, many European governments have been reluctant to be pulled into the war with Tehran. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026

In January, a Statesman report that Austin police turned over a woman to ICE due to a noncriminal immigration warrant drew public ire. —Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026

Following a contentious, nearly six-hour-long meeting, the Yorkville City Council has OK’d further approvals for a roughly 1,000-acre data center campus that has drawn the ire of numerous area residents. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ira; perhaps akin to Greek oistros gadfly, frenzy

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ire

• dire
• lyre
• mire
• quire
• spire
• squire
• admire
• afire
• aspire
• backfire
• esquire
• expire

Kids Definition

ire

noun

ˈī(ə)r 

: anger entry 1

ire verb

ireful

-fəl 

adjective

irefully

-fə-lē

adverb